Embedded Files
borrow them. You may find it useful to make notes on them. The United Kingdom operates an inter-library loans system, which enables copies of books and reports and photocopies of articles to be obtained from other libraries. The librarians at major libraries in your country should also be able to obtain journal articles through this system. 2.5 Keep a record of each document Build up your own index of relevant documents. It is a good idea to write the details of each document on a separate card or sheet of paper and file them alphabetically (by author’s name) in a box, folder or other suitable holder. Use only one side of the card or sheet. The details could also be kept in a computer database. You need to include specific details that identify the document and its source. These details constitute a “reference”. For a journal article you need: • the name(s) and initial(s) of the author or authors; • the year of publication; • the title (and any subtitle) of the article; • the name of the journal in which it was published; • the volume and part numbers of the journal in which it was published; and • the inclusive page numbers. For a book you need: • the name(s) and initial(s) of the author or authors; • the year of publication; • the title (and any subtitle) of the book; • (for any book which is a second or subsequent edition) the number of the edition; • the place of publication; and • the name of the publisher. Reports, theses and specific chapters in books are referred to in a similar way. References are discussed in greater detail on page 14. Carrying out a literature search page 7 Examples and Exercise 1 Look at the reference list on page 71. Ref. 9 is an example of a reference to an article. Ref. 1 refers to a book, Ref. 4 to a chapter in a book and Ref. 16 to a report. Look at the other references in the list. Decide whether each reference refers to an article, book, chapter or report. Can you identify all the essential details of each reference, as given above? On your card or sheet of paper or in your database it may also be useful to record where you found the reference (e.g. in an abstract journal or in the reference list at the end of a specific article), where you can find a copy of the document (e.g. in which library, in which section of a particular library, or in your own collection of photocopies) and whether you have read it. For a book, it is also useful to include the International Standard Book Number (ISBN), a ten-digit number usually found on the back cover of a book and (along with other details) on the reverse of the title page. This may be particularly useful if you decide to order a book through a bookshop or by mail order. After you have read the document you could write details about its content and your critical evaluation on the reverse of the card or sheet, or add them to your database. Reading and evaluating research reports page 9 3. Reading and evaluating research reports Exercise 2 Using the information given in Section 2, obtain the three following journal articles. ALLEN, M. ET AL. Effectiveness of a preoperative teaching programme for cataract patients. Journal of advanced nursing, 17: 303–309 (1992). MCBRIDE, A. Health promotion in hospitals: the attitudes, practices and beliefs of hospital nurses. Journal of advanced nursing, 20: 92–100 (1994). KING, K.M. & JENSEN, L. Preserving the self: women having cardiac surgery. Heart and lung, 23(2): 99–105 (1994). Attempt to read these before you read the rest of Section 3, but do not worry if you find them difficult to understand at present. You will be asked to refer to these articles as you progress through Section 3. You will also be given some exercises relating to them. By the end of Section 3 you should have a better understanding of the three articles and of research. 3.1 Why critical evaluation is important As noted in Rundell’s article (9), not all documents that report research findings are of high quality; some have major flaws that weaken or invalidate the claims made by the authors. Some minor flaws may, however, be unavoidable and may not undermine the worth of otherwise rigorous research. An ability to identify both the strengths and weaknesses of research documents will enable you to: • identify good quality research documents relevant to your clinical situation; • recognize credible material that supports or challenges insights that you may have gained through rational thought, intuition, education or clinical experience; • make informed decisions about appropriate care, rather than relying on traditional practices or instructions from others, and implement these in consultation with patients; and • discuss the worth and relevance of research findings with nursing colleagues and other health workers in your clinical area. 3.2 Factors for critical consideration When reading documents critically you should pay particular attention to the following: • the biographical details of the researchers • the source(s) of research funding • details given in the abstract (if any) • the aims of the study • the literature review • the choice of research methods • pilot work • sampling procedures page 10 Research awareness in nursing and midwifery: a workbook • data collection methods • data analysis • presentation of data • discussion of data • conclusions and recommendations • references • ethical considerations • rigour • relevance to clinical practice. These factors are discussed individually below. Terms
Google Sites
Report abuse